No doubt that politics are behind pushing Rav Chaim to write this (If he wrote it), but what was Rav Chaim referring to when he wrote of Rav Gross's position regarding electricity and Shabbos being "Heaven help us!"

Does anyone know what in particular was so beyond Rav Chaim's pale that it does not belong -- according to him -- in a Jewish house?

Politics in the guise of halacha.This is a regular occurrence and especially when a new leader or leaders wish to consolidate their grip on power.Thus, in R' Shach's days, the war was against MO, DL, Hesder Yeshivot aecular education.R' Elyashiv's battles were wigs, elevators, conversions.Today is interesting, because it is internal warfare. No longer are they attacking the Modernists (perhaps there is no mileage left in that) but it is a "civil" war in the Lithuanian camp.

Eddie I assume you studied thoroughly the material I posted before you concluded that there is no halachic issue - but it is politics. Pehaps you can explain to us why there is no serious halachic consideration here?

My argument is that the motivation is not purely halachic, but is mixed with politics. Bluke below makes a good point.There are always opposing opinions, so should we always throw out all the books we disagree with? Pretty soon, there would not be many books left.

Of course there are serious halachic issues, but since when do we throw out/ban seforim just because we disagree with their conclusions. There has always been machlokes in halacha, but we don't find that just because someone disagrees we throw out the sefer. If you don't agree with the halachic conclusions then publish a teshuva why the other person is wrong. R' Gross is a talmid chacham who is certainly entitled to an opinion on halachic topics.

You are pointing out a very serious problem. Everything is going electronic. Soon it will be very hard to find anything that doesn't have some kind of electronic sensor on it. If you go to a hotel you can see some of them, for example:Electronic keysMotion sensors which shut off the lights and air conditioning if there is no movementFaucets that go on and off based on motion sensorsToilets with sensorsAutomatic doorsSecurity cameras…Household appliances are changing as well. New refrigerators all have sensors that are put into action when you open the door etc. (even if you tape down the light switch). Modern burglar alarms have sensors on the door and register when the door opens even if the alarm is off. There are surveillance cameras everywhere.

The point is that electronics and sensors are becoming ubiquitous, they are going to be everywhere. It will soon reach a point that we will not be able to do anything without causing some reaction in some sensor.

If we just continue saying that electricity/electronics is assur we will either not be able to do anything on Shabbos or have to become Amish. I for one don’t see how a frum person can stay in a hotel in the US on Shabbos based on this.

I suppose the counter argument would be that , yes it is difficult, but even at the cost of being Heimish/Amish, it is the only choice rather than meddling with halacha and permitting what is forbidden. In any case, electricity is not fire.

What we're hearing from the machmirim is that this or that is "a problem" or an "issur gamur," which in and itself would not be so bad, would it be that they were to also offer solutions and workarounds.

But they don't, nor do they -- apparently -- consider that they need do so.

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Rav Zev Leff recommends my 3 books on Child & Domestic Abuse

Click on picture to hear excerpt from Jan. 2012 Kav L'Noar conference. "I want to first give hakoras hatov to Dr. Baruch Shulem who provided me with Daniel Eidensohn's books on child abuse and domestic abuse which offered me many many sources and it gave me many many ideas to be able to deal with the subject properly. And I thank them and I recommend those books to everyone who is interested in getting a good foundation what the issues are in this very important topic."

Daniel Eidensohn

I have a Ph.D.in psychology and have provided guidance and short-term therapy for many years - especially in areas of religious conficts & reframing. In the last 25 years I have been writing reference books for the Orthodox Jewish community.
I am primarily interested that people know and understand what the acceptable alternatives are rather than selling a particular view or engaging in apologetics. Full acceptance of Orthodox Judaism and halacha is a given. There will not be any discussion to justify or prove the validity of Torah or halacha.
My books include Yad Moshe the index to the Igros Moshe of Rav Moshe Feinstein, Yad Yisroel the index to the Mishna Berura of the Chofetz Chaim and Daas Torah an encyclopedia of Jewish Theology.
I have recently published 3 volumes on the issue of Child and Domestic Abuse in the Jewish community and a revised 2nd edition of Daas Torah (-available in seforim stores and Amazon)..
In recent years I have received guidance from Rav Moshe Sternbuch of the Eidah Charedis. I am a member of the chareidi community in Jerusalem.
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